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Politicians sweep roads, iron clothes, play cricket — all for votes

Candidates of all parties are resorting to 'polytricks', which at best can be termed 'gimmicks' to attract voters.

| Updated: Apr 17, 2014, 15:04 IST

Actress Jayasudha who is seeking a re-electing from the Secunderabad assembly seat on a Congres... Read More

HYDERABAD: If there was an Oscar for politicians, bet all the nominees would be politicians from Andhra Pradesh. Candidates of all parties are resorting to 'polytricks', which at best can be termed 'gimmicks' to attract voters. They are all stooping to conquer. The wise voter knows this charade and can read the politico in and out but they are also playing it along — after all, elections are time for some fun also at the expense of the 'netas' or wannabe 'netas'.

The contestants are engaging themselves in doing a variety of things - from playing games, eating, and pretending to do some work - much to the amusement of voters. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee leader Ponnala Laxmaiah, who recently went to Karimnagar to inspect the Ambedkar stadium for a public meeting that Congress president Sonia Gandhi would address, saw some youth playing cricket there. Laxmaiah saw an opportunity in that and joined the team. He became one with the youth, wielded the cricket bat for some time and had some fun, with of course, the motive of drawing the youth towards his party. Ponnala Laxmiah is contesting the elections from Jangaon constituency in Warangal district.

TDP candidate from Khammam assembly constituency Thummala Nageshwara Rao is no less at playing games. He played shuttle with some youth and also took part in some ground exercises.

In the city too, candidates are doing some weird things. Congress candidate from Amberpet assembly constituency V Hanumantha Rao, known for his theatrics, took a municipal workers broom and started sweeping in front of a house. If politicians can be actors, can actors be any less? Actress Jayasudha who is seeking a re-electing from the Secunderabad assembly seat on a Congress ticket is trying to charm voters in her own way. At a roadside shanty, the actress stopped by to a help a woman iron some clothes. Of course, she did not do it for free. She asked for a payment in the form of her vote.

Chintala Ramachandra Reddy, the BJP candidate from Khairatabad constituency, knows it is not going to be easy for him to fight the sitting Congress MLA Danam Nagendar and also the YSRCP candidate Vijaya Reddy. If he has to stop by to eat some mangoes, Ramachandra Reddy is doing just that to seek votes from those who gather around him. In fact, Ramachandra Reddy and also his YSR CP rival Vijaya Reddy are going around in the constituency on their two-wheelers to seek votes. Sometimes BJP Secunderabad LS candidate Bandaru Dattatreya is pillion-riding on Chintala two-wheeler to connect with the masses. MIM candidate from Chandrayangutta Akbaruddin too is making it a point to travel on a motorcycle to reach more voters.

Congress candidate Sama Krishna Reddy is pitted against the MIM's Asaddudin Owaisi in the latters stronghold, Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat but Sama is not giving up the game. He's milching cows. And he expects votes.

Politicos cast their vote

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Politicos cast their vote

Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate for India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), casts his vote at a polling station during the seventh phase of India's general election in Ahmedabad. Around 815 million people have registered to vote in the world's biggest election – a number exceeding the population of Europe and a world record –and results of the mammoth exercise, which concludes on May 12, are due on May 16. (Reuters photo)

Politicos cast their vote

Politicos cast their vote

National Conference candidate Farooq Abdullah and his son and J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah show their inked fingers after casting votes for Lok Sabha elections, at a polling centre in Srinagar. (PTI photo)

Politicos cast their vote

Politicos cast their vote

Congress candidate Preneet Kaur gets her finger marked before she casts her vote for the Lok Sabha polls in Patiala. (PTI photo)

Politicos cast their vote

On April 24, voters of eleven states and one Union Territory voted for 117 seats in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha election 2014.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur showing the ink mark on their fingers after casting votes for Lok Sabha polls at Dispur in Assam. (PTI Photo)

Politicos cast their vote

Congress candidate from Guwahati Manash Bora along with his
wife Priyanka Bora shows off inked fingers after casting their vote in
Guwahati. (PTI Photo)

Politicos cast their vote

President of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and his wife Joysree Mahanta show inked marked finger after casting their vote for Lok Sabha polls in Nagaon district of Assam. (PTI Photo)

Politicos cast their vote

Politicos cast their vote

NCP chief Sharad Pawar arrives to cast his vote for the
first time in Mumbai for the Lok Sabha election. (PTI Photo)

Politicos cast their vote

Kirit Somaiya poses after casting his vote in Mumbai. In Mumbai North East, the BJP's Kirit Somaiya, who lost last time by just 3000 odd votes, seems to be the favourite, but social activist Medha Patkar of the AAP is the dark horse. (PTI Photo)

Politicos cast their vote

Despite the naysayers, cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar took the time out on his birthday to step out and vote.(PTI Photo)

Politicos cast their vote

Request all parties and public to cooperate with EC to ensure peaceful election, Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa says after casting her vote at Stella Maris College in Central Chennai.(TOI Photo)

Politicos cast their vote

DMK's Dayanidhi Maran who is up against AIADMK's SR
Vijayakumar has cast his vote in Chennai central. (ANI Photo)

Politicos cast their vote

Politicos cast their vote

Odisha chief minister and Biju Janata Dal President Naveen Patnaik shows his inked finger after casting his vote for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls in Bhubaneswar on 17th April. PTI Photo

Politicos cast their vote

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with his wife Sadhna Singh show their inked fingers after casting votes at a polling booth at his native village Jait, Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh. (PTI Photo)

Politicos cast their vote

Bangalore South Lok Sabha Candidate Nandan Nilekani shows ink-marked finger after voting outside the polling station in Koramangala, in Bangalore for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha pollson 17th April. Also seen wife Rohini Nilekani. TOI photo

Politicos cast their vote

RJD candidate from Patliputra Misa Bharti shows her voter id-card and inked finger after casting her vote at a polling booth in Patna for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls on 17th April. PTI Photo

Politicos cast their vote

Actors Amitabh Bachchan along with family members Jaya, Aishwarya and Abhishek after casting their votes in Mumbai. (PTI Photo)

Politicos cast their vote

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi after casting his vote for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls in Rampur, UP on 17th April. PTI Photo

Politicos cast their vote

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot casts his vote for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls in Jodhpur on 17th April. PTI Photo

Politicos cast their vote

Politicos cast their vote

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and his wife show ink marked finger after casting their vote for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls in Ranchi on 17th April. PTI Photo

Politicos cast their vote

Former BCCI chief N Srinivasan shows his inked finger after casting his vote at a polling station in Chennai. (TOI Photo)

Politicos cast their vote

Congress president
Sonia Gandhi shows her ink-marked finger after casting her vote at Nirman
Bhawan polling station in New Delhi
on 10th April. (PTI photo)

Politicos cast their vote

AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal flashes victory sign as he arrives along with his family to cast his vote at a polling station at Tilak Marg in New Delhi on Thursday during voting for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections. (PTI photo)

Politicos cast their vote

Arvind Kejriwal arrived at the polling booth literally with a 'bang' as two vehicles collided outside the entry gate of the booth, triggering a momentary alarm. (PTI photo)

Politicos cast their vote

Politicos cast their vote

Vice-president Hamid Ansari leaves after casting his vote at Nirman Bhawan polling station in New Delhi on Thursday during voting for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections. (PTI photo)

Politicos cast their vote

Congress candidate Ajay Makken shows his ink-marked finger after casting vote at Nirman Bhawan polling station in New Delhi on Thursday during the voting for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections. (PTI photo)

Politicos cast their vote

Election officer at booth number 74, requesting Shashi Tharoor to move away from the EVM when he tried to help his mother caste vote at Cotton Hill School in Thiruvanthapuram on Thursday. (TOI photo)

Politicos cast their vote

Shashi Tharoor with mother Lilly Tharoor caste their vote at Cotton Hill school in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. (TOI photo)

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